lambert



Why 8, 1923.

A. E. LAMBERT GARMENT Filed 001;. 15, 1921 2 mu .-wn

INVENTOR mwfmw ATTORNEY Patented May 8, 1923.

UNITED 's es PA EN v OFFICE.

ALBERT EfLAMBIEnT, or" ALBANY, NEW YoRK.

I i f GARMENT,

1 Application med cto ber15, 921. Serial No. 507,949.

more particularly in some of its details to a union garment especially adapted for underwear. i

It is an object of the invention to provide an improvedgarment which is capable of being put on or taken off readily and with little exertion or inconvenience to the wearer, and when in wearing position falls naturally into place to clothe the wearer, and remains permanently in such position without gaping and without employment of buttons or other fastening means.

Another objectis to provide a buttonless undergarment of improved construction, having an ample opening to enable the same to be easily placed in wearing position or removed;

Still another object to provide a garment of the class mentioned, "of superior durability, convenienceand fitting qualities, which is simple in construction and'inexpensive in manufacturing and cost. 7

'Other objects will'b'e in part obvious in scription, and in part pointed out therein.

Theinvention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in-the construction hereincation of which willbe indicated in the fol lowing claims. In the accompanyingdrawings wherein an illustrative but preferred embodimentof the invention is disclosed,

Figure 1 is a front "elevation of the garment depicting the same as lying flat with the front and back portions in contact, and Fig. 2 is a similar view showing therear thereof. I Referring now to the drawing for a detailed description of the illustrative embodiment, an undergarment of the union variety is shown, having an upperbody or vest portion 1- as distinguished .from the skilled in the art to which itappertains to connection with-the following detailed de.

relation only up to a point adjacent the after set forth, .and' the scope of the applilower bifurcated portion 2. The vest or body portion is provided with-arm openings 3, or sleeves may be employed, if desired. The front of-the vest portion is provided with a round or a V-shape neck opening 4 in the upper portion thereof, and is prefer ablyintegrally extended at its lower edge across the waist-line into thefront portion of the lower garment. By this construction the entire front of the garment may be made up from a single integral piece of material.

' The rear of the vest portion is preferably madeup of two pieces or sections of woven fabric, designated 5 and 6 respectively, stitched at the outer lateral edges to the adjacent lateral edges of the front of the garment, andat the top edges thereof stitched to the tops ofthe front pieces. This forms continuations of the front and rear portions providing shoulder straps or supports for holding the garmentin upright wearing potion and symmetrically disposed on the garment with respect to the flap 5. 'The overlapping portions of theseflap's are discontinuous near the upper portion of the garment, that is, said flaps are in overlapped upper portion of the garment providing a V-shaped neck opening 4' which is a continuationof the opening 4. The lower edges of the two flaps 5 and 6 are stitched together as indicated at 7 and the inner lateral edges thereof'terminate between the median line and'respective sides of the garment but are otherwise unattached. A. waist-band 8 extends transversely across the back of the garment at the waist-line, being preferably of elastic'material such as knit fabric, or the like, and terminates at each end'at the sides of the garment. The over-lapping stitched lower edges ofv the flaps 5 and 6 are also stitched to the waistband 8, preferably by vBy means of this construction it will be seen that the flaps are capable of moving apart so as to provide a large opening at the upper part of the garment to enable the same to be easily placed in wearing position or to be removed. The waist-band lends a certain amount of resiliency to the garment, facilitating placing the same in wearing position and providing means whereby the garment conforms to the shape of the body in various positions of the wearer. This is especially advantageous, inasmuch where the woven fabric employed in the general construction of the garment is not susceptible to a very great amount of stretching. The interposition of the waist-band prevents straining, tearing or otherwise injuring the fabric and improves the wearing qualities of thegarment and increases the comfort to the wearer. It is obvious that the waistband may be extended entirely around the garment, if desired, and it will also be understood that the flaps 5 and v6 may be disposed in front rather than behind, if considered desirable.

The nether garment is provided at the rear with an outer flap 10 preferably extending from the waist-band to the crotch and a coterminous overlapping inner flap 11. The seat is preferably constructed quite full, this arrangement of flaps being found comfortable and convenient. A front opening 12 is also provided, having outer and inner overlapping flaps with marginal reinforcements stitched together at their ends and are adepted to automatically close the opening, The front opening is dis-continuous with the rear opening, an elongated crotch gusset 13 be, ing interposed between the openings and stitched in position securing the opposite lateral sides of the garment together at the crotch between the front and rear openings.

When the garment is in position, the overlying fiaps 5 and 6 of the upper garment are effectually and automatically held in closed position by engagement of the garment with the body. of the wearer, the weight of the garment also tending to hold the flaps smoothly closed without gaping and without employment of buttons or other securing means. The two flaps being symmetrically placed on the garment at the center of the body thereof, and secured together at their lower edges andto the waist-band, the

stresses transmitted through the same to the shoulders are equalized and the free lateral edges are held in close contact with each other, providing an effective, self-closing entry opening for the garment. This arrangement also provides a garment of six.- perior fitting qualities and avoids binding with resultant discomfort.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of' this inven-. tion could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall i be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover-all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the inyention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters being extended above the over-lapped parts and spacedapart near the upper portion of the garment, forming a rear neck opening in continuation of said front opening, the extended portions of said flaps being united with the front of the garment to form shoulder supports adapted tohold the flaps in closed over-lapping relation when the gar-, ment is in wearing position, a waist-band extending across the back of the garment and being united with said front and with the overclapping portions of said flaps, and

a ether garment having a rear portion united with said waist-band.

. 2. A garment of the character described, having a body portion with an integral front and with a neck opening therein, said garment also having a back portion secured to said front portion and having freely overlapping flaps united to each other atthe waist-line, a waist-band of resilient material extending transversely across said back por tion, to one edge of which the united edges of said flaps are attached, theoverlapping portions of said flaps being dis-continuous near the upper portion of the garment, forming a rear continuation of said front neck opening.

3. A garment of the character described, having a body portion with an integral front, having a neck opening therein, said garment also having a back portion secured to said front portion and having freely overlapping fiaps united to each other at the waist-line, a waist-band of" resilient ma terial extending transversely across said back portion, "to one edge of which the united edges of said flaps are att-aclied, said garment having a bifurcated nether portion the front of which is integral with said body portion, the back being united with said waist-band.

4. A garment having an integral front for the upper and lower portions thereof and being notched at its upper portion to provide a neck opening, a plurality of rear sections forming the rear of the body of the garment and being united at the sides of the garment with the front to form the complete vest portion, said rear sections also having freely overlapping flaps secured at their lower edges substantially at the waist line and being held in closel overlapping relationship to close the bac of the garment by engagement with the body of the wearer, said flaps also being extended upwardly beyond the overlapping portions thereof and uniting With and forming continuations of the front sections over the shoulders and being symmetrically disposed on the garment.

5. A union garment having vest and nether portions with front and rear sections, one of said sections being madewith a single integral piece of material being notched at its upper portion to provide a neck opening, a plurality of parts forming the other section of the body portion of said garment and being united at the sides thereof with said first mentioned section to form the complete vest portion, said sections also having freely overlapping flaps symmetrically dispo-Sed on the garment and secured together at their lower edges near the waist line and being extended upwardly beyond the overlapping portions thereof and uniting with and forming continuations-with the other said section over the shoulders, the lower secured edges of said flaps being united to the upper edges of the nether garment.

6. A union garment having body and nether portion with front and rear sides, one of said sides being made of a single integral piece of material and being notched at its upper portion to provide a neck opening, one of said sides of the garment having freely overlapping flaps secured together at their lower edges near the waistline and being extended upwardly beyond the overlapping portions thereof and united with and forming continuations 0f the other side over the shoulders, and being symmetrically disposed on the garment, a waist-band of relatively resilient material extending across said garment and united at one edge with the overlapping edges of said flaps, and united at the opposite edge with the upper marginal portion of said nether garment.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT E. LAMBERT. Witnesses C. DONALD BAUER, DAYTON LEDGER DONNELLY. 

